RBC Bearings (RBC) Q1 Sales Rise 7%

Core Insights - RBC Bearings reported Q1 FY2026 results showing revenue and earnings growth compared to Q1 FY2025, but both GAAP revenue and non-GAAP EPS missed Wall Street forecasts [1][5][12] - The company highlighted solid demand in core markets, particularly aerospace and defense, despite some capacity bottlenecks [1][4][6] Financial Performance - Non-GAAP EPS for Q1 FY2026 was $2.84, slightly below the $2.88 estimate, while GAAP revenue was $436.0 million, missing the $480.6 million consensus [1][2] - Year-over-year revenue increased by 7.3% from $406.3 million in Q1 FY2025 [2][5] - Free cash flow rose to $104.3 million, an 18.0% increase from $88.4 million in Q1 FY2025 [1][8] Segment Performance - The Aerospace/Defense segment saw GAAP sales increase by 10.4% year-over-year to $164.6 million, driven by a rebound in commercial aerospace builds and strong defense orders [6] - The Industrial segment, contributing 62.3% of total revenue, grew by 5.5%, with growth concentrated in mining, aggregates, and logistics [6] Strategic Focus - RBC Bearings is focusing on market diversification across industrial and aerospace sectors, emphasizing technological innovation and disciplined capacity management [4][3] - The company is managing production resources to match strong demand and mitigate supply constraints, particularly in aerospace and defense [4][5] Management Outlook - Management anticipates Q2 FY2026 net sales between $445 million and $455 million, indicating growth of 11.8% to 14.4% over the prior year's Q2 [12] - The company aims for a gross margin of 44.0% to 44.25% in Q2 FY2026, with SG&A expenses projected at 17.0% to 17.25% of net sales [12]